Mumbai: Taking charge of one of the most industrialised states, Sushilkumar Shinde has come a long way from a court peon to a sub-inspector of police to become Maharashtra's Chief Minister.

Sixtyone-year-old Shinde, the first 'dalit' Chief Minister of the state, was initiated into politics by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar in the early Seventies and from then there was no looking back for him.

A second-time member of the Lok Sabha from Solapur in Western Maharashtra, the veteran Congressman has been all-India general secretary of the party and was nominated to the Congress Working Committee. Despite being a Scheduled Caste, he has been elected from a general constituency.

Shinde was in the limelight last year when he was fielded as the common Opposition candidate against Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the Vice-Presidential election, which he, however, lost.

As Finance Minister in Maharashtra, he created a record of sorts by presenting as many as nine successive Budgets.

Shinde, twice Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief, had spearheaded the revolt against Chief Minister Sharad Pawar in 1991, following signals from the Congress high command. This was despite the fact that Pawar was instrumental in bringing him into politics.

At the time of revolt, Shinde headed PCC and outgoing Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was one of the senior ministers who joined the rebellion.

Incidentally, Shinde lost the bus in 1999 following a campaign by detractors that he was close to Pawar. Shinde was for some time in the erstwhile Congress-S and was also Labour and Tourism Minister in the Pawar-led PDF government which was formed after Pawar caused a sensation by splitting the state Congress and joined hands with other non-Congress parties.

Born on September 4, 1941, in Solapur, he was first elected to Maharashtra Assembly in April 1974.

Shinde and Deshmukh were known as "do hanso ka joda" (close chums) when both were members of the Maharashtra Legislature till the 'dalit' leader shifted to Delhi in 1991.

Their friendship remained intact despite Deshmukh becoming the Chief Minister in 1999. It was the sixth proverbial slip between the cup-and-the-lip for Shinde, whose name was also in the reckoning.

As All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Shinde looked after the politically sensitive Uttar Pradesh as also the North Eastern region.

A high point in his political career came late last year when Congress president Sonia Gandhi "handpicked" him as the combined Opposition nominee in the Vice- Presidential poll.

PTI